High Standard .22 Pistol- what is your favorite plinker

Hi St. James! Congrats, and my pity, on getting yourself into one of the most fun and addicting hobbies known to man! I would also like to commend you on choosing a .22 caliber as your first firearm. VERY many people feel like they have to dive right in to prove that they have hair on their chest or something, and fail to learn many important fundamentals that a .22 is so good at teaching. As a bonus, you can shoot all day long with a .22 without breaking the bank!

This is actually my second Ruger 22/45. This model is produced only by Ruger, and common 'selling points' (as you suggested) are the similarity in the layout of the controls as compared to a 1911. The 22/45 I had previously was the MII model, which I actually preferred a bit over this newer model. The frame was a little less thin on the old ones, but the differences to my memory stop there (though more may exist). The MIII should serve you just fine though, if the grip is comfortable enough for you.

If you research things to death the way I do, I believe you will find a very largely positive vibe on the forums surrounding the Ruger rimfire pistols. They have some quirks, such as not liking certain ammo (some hollowpoints, etc.) and have occasional small problems (like my sight drifting), but their customer service is very good and the overall quality is still high. The sight problem as an example is an easily remedied one.

Reliability will not be a problem after the pistol and magazines are both broken in, and a suitable load is found. Accuracy has never been lacking in any example that I've shot, either.

As to the barrel length, be sure to choose something that is comfortable to you and has a good 'feel' and balance. This will lead to a less tiring and more comfortable shooting session, where you can give more of your attention to learning fundamentals. The 6" may be a little long for this, and something like the 4" may be in order. (This change will not lead to a noticeable loss in accuracy at realistic ranges, having owned models in several lengths.)

I hope that answers your questions somewhat! Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.
 
I really love the Ruger stainless Mark III. It shot the target at about 30 feet offhand. It shoots fantastic, feeds reliably, and just points so naturally. The Mark I shoot really well but not at good as the Mark III. The Model 34 Smith is nice also. Don't like the sights at all but it shoots OK. I used to have a Model 17 S&W with 8 3/8". It shot pretty well but I sold it after I got out of the service like an idiot. Used it hunting a few years. I didn't take a picture but I also have an Ace conversion for the .45 Gold Cup. It doesn't feed as reliably as it did 20 years ago. I haven't had the time to really figure out whats up with it yet.

KR



100_0257.jpg
 
Spooky, Thanks for the quick and informative reply. It just makes sence to me to learn to shoot on a .22, and it seems like a gun many people come back to for pure pleasure even after thay have a lot more experience. Thanks for the support (and even the pity)!

KR1, thanks as well, glad to hear from someone with experience with the Mark III and to hear you find it fun and reliable and natural to use. All important points for me.

Let me ask about cleaning and maintenance of the pistol, I'm not afraid of any mechanical device but don't want something that is such a chore it discorages my using it. Any thoughts?
 
St. James-

Spooky is dead on. Balance is key definately handle several .22's before purchase.

For years I admired the beauty and Style of the 6" Colt Diamondback only to discover upon acquisition, that as with women, beauty hasn't any correllation with perfomance.

Has anyone any clue on obtaining a new High Standard Sport King clip?
 
hey cash2006, i think i seen the clips at cheaper than dirt and i also have a shooting magazine i think it is related to sportsman guide, i thumb thru it last night & maybe i think i remember seeing clips for HS pistols "cheap $"
 
In reference to favorite plinkers, I picked up a Berretta Model 70-S in .22 about 18 years ago.. The sights need tightening down every now and again, but it's just plain fun to shoot! And everyone who has shot it loves it, too... Only problem is that spare magazines are impossible to find - last one I saw @8 years ago was going for $80 !!!! :eek:
I'd put this gun in to a BoB anytime!
 
St. James, I don't know about sage advice, but here are my thoughts on the subject.

I am a new shooter, just like you. I've been at it a little longer though, a couple of months as opposed to your couple of weeks. :D It's actually a bit scary how similar you and I are in our firearm choices. I too chose the 22/45 as I thought that it was the gun that would make the most sense for me learning the fundamentals. The .22 is an inexpensive caliber and one that I can easily afford to shoot for several hours. My research indicates that learning the three basic principles of sight picture, trigger pull, and breathing control as well as proper gun handling techniques is learned just as effectively on the .22 as it is with a bigger caliber.

The reason I chose the 22/45 over other available .22s is that its controls and grip angle roughly approximate the 1911 platform, my handgun of choice. It's not the same of course, the Ruger is thinner and the safety is a little different, but the magazine release and safety are located in the same place. Still, they're close enough that I find the 22/45 a very good trainer.

Keep in mind though that the grip of the 22/45 is made of plastic, unlike the all metal construction of the rest of the Ruger Mark pistols. It's not an issue for me, I just thought I'd mention it. As to whether or not you should get the Mark III or the older Mark II, I guess that's up to you. I personally don't have much experience with firearms, so I went with the Mark III so that I would have the peace of mind that comes with having a new firearm. You have to remember that one of the biggest advantages to the .22 is cheap ammo. Any used .22 will likely have thousands and thousands of rounds shot through it. By the time you get a used gun it could be worn out. Plus, the 22/45 is already an inexpensive firearm when new, it's less than the cost of a new Sebenza. I say skip the possible headache and just get a new one.

Don't worry about the disassembly and reassembly of the pistol. The Ruger 22/45 was my first pistol and when I field stripped it that was the first time I ever took apart a firearm. It was a bit difficult at first, but as long as you follow the directions in the manual you'll be fine. I feel that field stripping the 1911 is more difficult.

BTW, are you still in CA? If you still make it out to the Bay Area regularly I have a great gun shop I can recommend to you. The guys are incredibly friendly and helpful, and they showed me how to detail strip my Kimber Custom II when I bought it.
 
cash2006, now that is sage advice. Ever hear the term "starfish"?;)

kamagong, it sounds like you are just a few steps further down the path that I am taking. Thanks for putting the costof a pistol into what I call "The Sebenza Perspective", aka, how many Sebenzas does this item cost? I'm going to check local ranges to see who might have a MarkIII I can shoot.

I'm up in Sacramento but work in SF most of the time, so please do letme know about the shop you like.
 
Cash2006, Check CDNN online. That is where I get alot of spare mags for my customers. They have a huge stock and are reasonable in cost and shipping.

Bigk6
 
My favorite is a Ruger MKII 10" bull with the Ruger target grips. Love this thing. :D :thumbup:
 
stjames said:
Let me ask about cleaning and maintenance of the pistol, I'm not afraid of any mechanical device but don't want something that is such a chore it discorages my using it. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I haven't really broken down the Mark III all the way yet. :o It looks very similar to the Mark I and I always thought that was fairly intuative to field strip. But I worked in a gun store for 10 years so I use to break down a lot of guns. ;)

KR
 
I'm not really a "plinker" but do like target shooting. My wife likes to "plink" and her favorite is a K22. I see others have similar taste.

Win

standard.jpg


AMT Lightning:

standard.jpg
 
stjames,
I have a Mk II 22/45 & a Springfield .45 that you'd be welcome to try out. I'm up in Folsom and could use some range time.
 
THESE ARE MY FAVORITE PLINKERS GLOCK 40 CAL WITH CONVERSION PLUS TRIGICON SITES,RUGER MARK 1 AND COLT SA IN 22LR SHOWN WITH 22MAG CLY ALL THESE KEEP THE PAPER POPING AND THE KRITTERS IN THE POT .
DSCN1376.jpg
 
I have a Browning Buckmark Camper that I got for a great price. The gun store was advertising a 20% off all Browning sale, but the salesman tried to back out on the discount for this gun, because it was already marked down or whatever. Another customer in the store and I argued with him for about 20 minutes and we ended up both getting the gun for something like $159. The thing ended up being a real winner, no serious malfs and amazingly accurate for such a bargain. I got a Wiegand scope mount for it ($29), and put on an old Optima 2000 red dot sight I had laying around. I have a ball every time I take it out. It's also the only handgun my wife enjoys shooting. She has tiny hands and it fits her grip beautifully. It's kind of a drag to field strip, but most of the time I just run a boresnake through it and brush off the breech with CLP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top